THE cost of recycling could increase for residents of the Northern Grampians shire. The council, in its draft budget, proposes to increase the cost for kerbside recycling collection by $34 – from $156 to $190 a year. Northern Grampians Shire mayor Tony Driscoll said the increased fees were influenced by the recycling company. Cr Driscoll said China’s restrictions on accepting recycling from Australia was having an impact. Federal government figures show 3.5 per cent of Australia’s household, business and industry recyclables were exported to China in 2017. But in July last year China’s new import restrictions under its Blue Sky/National Sword program, restricted the importation of 24 streams of recyclable material. This has restricted the recyclable materials Australia can send to China and it has also increased the cost of recycling. “Of course the price increase is going to have an impact on the community, like any increase in fees,” Cr Driscoll said. “But the shire wants to continue to recycle.” The Ipswich council in Queensland decided to stop recycling earlier this year due to the cost. But after public backlash, they changed their minds. Cr Driscoll said Northern Grampians shire was committed to continuing its recycling program. “We’ll work with the other two tiers of government to rethink recycling. It’s about changing mindsets and being realistic,” he said. Project Platypus local landcare facilitator Andrea Mitchell called for a community solution on recycling and rubbish. “But the bottom line is reuse first or think before you buy,” she said. READ MORE: Northern Grampians Shire and Ararat Rural City continue to collect recycling bins as import ban deadline approaches